Operation Safed Sagar: IAF conducts Missing Man Formation

Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa led four aircraft, MiG-21 'Missing Man' formation flypast at Bhisiana Air Force Station in Bhatinda, Punjab to honour sacrifice of men killed in action during Operation Safed Sagar (Operation White Sea) at Kargil.

Missing Man' formation

It is aerial salute accorded to honour the fallen comrades-in-arms. It is Arrow Formation, with gap between two aircraft in the formation depicting the Missing Man. It was on May 27, 1999 that, Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja VrC (Posthumous) laid down his life during the Kargil conflict. He was at that time the Flight Commander of 17 Squadron.

Operation Safed Sagar

It was the code name assigned to Indian Air Force's (IAF) role in acting jointly with Ground troops during 1999 Kargil war. It was aimed at flushing out troops of Pakistani Army (regular as well as irregular troops) from vacated Indian Positions in the Kargil sector along the Line of Control. It was the first large scale use of airpower by IAF in J&K region since the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.